Technologies

Pixel Watch 4 vs Apple Watch Series 10: Can Google Outshine Apple?

Google’s newest smartwatch debuts an AI health coach and advanced emergency tools. Here’s how it stacks up against Apple’s proven Series 10.

Google’s Pixel Watch 4 has entered the chat and leveled up. With an AI-powered health coach, first-of-its-kind emergency satellite connectivity, and some notable design upgrades, it’s ready to take on the biggest smartwatch heavy hitters and maybe even give some Apple fans a wondering eye.

Meanwhile, the Apple Watch Series 10 remains the gold standard for iPhone owners. Even though it launched last year, it benefits from more than a decade of refinement and seamless integration with the iPhone and Apple’s expansive health and fitness ecosystem.

As smartwatches make the leap from wearable phone extensions to essential health and safety tools, these two flagships are redefining the category — especially with both companies controlling the full hardware and software experience on their respective platforms. And with Apple expected to debut its Series 11 in September, this face-off feels like just the opening move in what’s shaping up to be a high-stakes game of chess between two of the biggest names in tech. Here’s how the specs stack up on paper; we’ll conduct our full suite of tests for the full Pixel Watch 4 review.

Pricing and availability

Being an older model, the Apple Watch Series 10 can be found for a discounted rate through third party sellers like Best Buy and Walmart, but the original price of $399 is technically higher than the base price of the $350 Pixel Watch 4. However, the larger-size versions have less of a price gap with the 45mm Wi-Fi version of the Series 10 costing $429 and the Pixel Watch 4 equivalent costing $400. And the Apple Watch is the only one that offers a higher-end titanium model that costs about $200 more than the base aluminum. Both watches are rated for 5ATM water resistance and have IP6X dust protection.

Design and display

Both watches remain true to their original form factor and this category is more a matter of preference. The Pixel Watch 4 sticks with its signature circular design that looks closer to a traditional analog watch than the Apple Watch, with a bubble-like screen that curves outward for a sleek, all-display look. It comes in 41mm and 45mm sizes with silver, dark gray and gold aluminum finishes, plus interchangeable bands.

Apple, by contrast, hasn’t strayed from its signature rectangular shape since its launch. It’s more «tech» looking than the Pixel Watch, but it’s also slightly more practical for navigating apps and notifications. The Series 10 also has minimal bezels with a screen that expands into the thin frame and comes in a 42mm and 46mm version. The Apple Watch has a slightly higher pixel density for better image quality but the Pixel 4 is brighter with up to 3,000 nits peak brightness compared to the Apple Watch’s 2,000 nits.

Performance, software and AI

Under the hood, both watches run the latest versions of their respective software: WatchOS 10 for Apple and Wear OS 6 for the Pixel. Apple offers the usual tight integration with the iPhone, while Google leans on its Fitbit acquisition for health tracking and now its AI expertise with the built-in Gemini assistant.

And this is where the Apple Watch starts to lose its footing. Google’s Gemini voice assistant handles back-to-back commands, summarizes information from your apps and responds conversationally without shuttling you out to a web link — something Siri still struggles to match. Apple’s assistant remains more limited, often requiring repeat commands and leaning on your iPhone for anything beyond the basics. Even a cautious AI user like myself can’t help notice how Gemini’s added capabilities feel genuinely useful on the wrist, cutting down on screen taps and making it easier to get more done on the go.

Health and fitness features

This is another area where Google’s AI could give the Pixel Watch 4 an extra edge. Both watches set the standard in health and fitness features — Apple because of its longstanding commitment to health and fitness, and Pixel through its integration with Fitbit. Their metrics are accurate and easy to make sense of in their respective apps. But the Pixel 4 just stepped it up with a concierge style AI health coach (coming in October) that can help you interpret your health data and give personalized recommendations: everything from whether to rest or exercise on any given day, to how to improve sleep quality. Apple’s Workout Buddy, coming in watchOS 26, offers live feedback on a handful of workouts but isn’t as far along in pulling together a complete picture of your health data (at least not yet). The caveat, however, is that Google’s coach will require a Fitbit Premium subscription ($10/month after a trial), while Apple’s AI fitness tool is free.

Emergency features

Beyond health tracking, both watches add an extra layer of protection with a range of emergency tools, including fall and crash detection, workout check-ins and Emergency SOS. The Apple Watch leans more on proactive health alerts, like warnings for irregular heart rhythm and potential sleep apnea.

But the Pixel Watch 4 just boosted its emergency features by adding satellite connectivity. This means you can send a message for help even without a phone or cell service. The Apple Watch, by comparison, still relies on the iPhone or needs network coverage for models that are cellular-enabled to make an emergency call.

Battery and charging

On paper the Series 10 promises 18 hours of heavy use, though in our testing it’s consistently gotten closer to 26 to 30 hours with the always-on display active. Google claims 30 to 40 hours on the Pixel Watch 4 depending on size, giving it a slight edge, but it’s hard to pass judgment without our real world tests.

Charging speed is another strong point for both watches with quick charge capabilities, although the Pixel Watch 4 is still faster when you need a quick top-up. It reaches 50% in just 15 minutes and a full charge in an hour. The Series 10 also takes an hour to reach a full charge, but hits 80% in 40 minutes.

Google has also made the Pixel Watch 4’s battery and display easier to replace for repairs, a big step forward for long-term usability, while Apple hasn’t emphasized the same level of repairability on the Series 10.

Bottom line

If you’re all-in on Apple, the Series 10 still delivers everything you need in a smartwatch. But for Android users (or anyone curious about AI on the wrist) the Pixel Watch 4 shows Google is serious about challenging Apple’s dominance.

Pixel Watch 4 vs. Apple Watch Series 10: Specs at a glance

	Pixel Watch 4	Apple Watch Series 10
Design & sizes	Round, 41mm & 45mm	Square, 42mm, 46mm
Display	AMOLED LTPO, 320 ppi	LTPO3 OLED, 446 x 374 ppi
Thickness & weight	12.3mm; 31–36.7g	9.7mm; 30-41.7g (46mm titanium model)
Material & finish	Aluminum case: Silver, Champagne gold, Satin Moonstone or Matte black finish	Aluminum: Jet black, Rose gold or Silver finish; Titanium: Slate, Gold or Natural finish
Durability	5ATM water + IP68 (dust)	5ATM Water + IP6X (dust)
Battery life	30–40 hrs (always-on) + quick charge dock: 50% in 15min, 100% in 60 min	24-30 (always-on) + Fast charge: 80% in 30 min, 100% in 60 min
Sensors	ECG, SpO₂, heart rate, skin temp, loss of pulse detection	ECG, heart rate, skin temp, depth gauge, SpO2, Noise monitoring
Emergency features	Satellite SOS, Safety Check, Safety Signal, fall & crash detection	Emergency SOS, Fall detection, Crash detection, Check in and Backtrack
AI & coaching	Gemini voice assistant; Fitbit AI health coach (via Premium)	Siri (voice assistant); Workout Buddy
Processor	Qualcomm Snapdragon W5 Gen 2, Cortex-M55 co-processor	S10 SiP with 64-bit dual-core processor, W3 Apple wireless chip
RAM/Storage	2GB, 32GB (storage)	64GB (storage)
Payments	Google Wallet	Apple Pay
Price (US)	$350–$500	$399-$750 (titanium)

Technologies

Today’s NYT Connections: Sports Edition Hints and Answers for Oct. 20, #392

Here are hints and the answers for the NYT Connections: Sports Edition puzzle for Oct. 20, No. 392.

Looking for the most recent regular Connections answers? Click here for today’s Connections hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Mini Crossword, Wordle and Strands puzzles.

Today’s Connections: Sports Edition has a category for all the Windy City residents out there. If you’re struggling but still want to solve it, read on for hints and the answers.

Connections: Sports Edition is published by The Athletic, the subscription-based sports journalism site owned by the Times. It doesn’t show up in the NYT Games app but appears in The Athletic’s own app. Or you can play it for free online.

Read more: NYT Connections: Sports Edition Puzzle Comes Out of Beta

Hints for today’s Connections: Sports Edition groups

Here are four hints for the groupings in today’s Connections: Sports Edition puzzle, ranked from the easiest yellow group to the tough (and sometimes bizarre) purple group.

Yellow group hint: Deep-dish pizza, anyone?

Green group hint: Duke it out.

Blue group hint: College division.

Purple group hint: «Go to your ____!»

Answers for today’s Connections: Sports Edition groups

Yellow group: Chicago teams.

Green group: With «weight,» combat sport divisions.

Blue group: American Conference teams.

Purple group: ____ room.

Read more: Wordle Cheat Sheet: Here Are the Most Popular Letters Used in English Words

What are today’s Connections: Sports Edition answers?

The yellow words in today’s Connections

The theme is Chicago teams. The four answers are Bears, Bulls, Cubs and Sky.

The green words in today’s Connections

The theme is with «weight,» combat sport divisions. The four answers are bantam, feather, fly and heavy.

The blue words in today’s Connections

The theme is American Conference teams. The four answers are Blazers, Chanticleers, Green Wave and Pirates.

The purple words in today’s Connections

The theme is ____ room. The four answers are dressing, film, green and locker.

Technologies

Today’s NYT Connections Hints, Answers and Help for Oct. 20, #862

Here are some hints and the answers for the NYT Connections puzzle for Oct. 20, No. 862.

Looking for the most recent Connections answers? Click here for today’s Connections hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Mini Crossword, Wordle, Connections: Sports Edition and Strands puzzles.

Today’s NYT Connections puzzle has a tricky purple category, but that almost always goes without saying. If you need help, you’re in the right place. Read on for clues and today’s Connections answers.

The Times now has a Connections Bot, like the one for Wordle. Go there after you play to receive a numeric score and to have the program analyze your answers. Players who are registered with the Times Games section can now nerd out by following their progress, including the number of puzzles completed, win rate, number of times they nabbed a perfect score and their win streak.

Read more: Hints, Tips and Strategies to Help You Win at NYT Connections Every Time

Hints for today’s Connections groups

Here are four hints for the groupings in today’s Connections puzzle, ranked from the easiest yellow group to the tough (and sometimes bizarre) purple group.

Yellow group hint: What’s the matter?

Green group hint: Stars at night.

Blue group hint: Science info.

Purple group hint: On the cob.

Answers for today’s Connections groups

Yellow group: Affliction.

Green group: Represented by constellations.

Blue group: Periodic table symbols.

Purple group: ____ corn.

Read more: Wordle Cheat Sheet: Here Are the Most Popular Letters Used in English Words

What are today’s Connections answers?

The yellow words in today’s Connections

The theme is affliction. The four answers are bugbear, complex, demon and hang-up.

The green words in today’s Connections

The theme is represented by constellations. The four answers are big bear, centaur, hunter and lyre.

The blue words in today’s Connections

The theme is periodic table symbols. The four answers are AS, BE, I and K.

The purple words in today’s Connections

The theme is ____ corn. The four answers are a, capri, pop and uni. (Acorn, Capricorn, popcorn and unicorn.)

Technologies

AirPods 3 vs. AirPods 4: Should You Upgrade?

Not only do the entry-level version of Apple’s AirPods 4 offer feature and performance upgrades over the AirPods 3, but the step-up AirPods 4 with ANC feature active noise canceling. We compare all three models.

Editor’s note Oct. 18: We updated this article to reflect the release of the AirPods Pro 3.

Apple’s fourth generation of its original true-wireless earbuds follows the same design language as their predecessors but adds a bunch of new features — some borrowed straight from the more expensive AirPods Pro 2, which have now been succeeded by the AirPods Pro 3. The AirPods 4 remain Apple’s only earbuds to launch in two variants: a $129 entry-level model and a $179 AirPods 4 with ANC, both of which are often discounted on Amazon.

I’ve been using the step-up $179 version, and I’m surprised by how good the ANC is for an open-ear design, agreeing with CNET audio expert David Carnoy, who called it «the best noise canceling I’ve experienced with a set of open earbuds» in his full review of the AirPod 4 with Active Noise Canceling. If you’re an AirPods 3 user and wondering how the AirPods 4 stack up against your current model, read on as I explore the key differences between these two earbuds. And for those considering upgrading from the AirPods Pro 2 to the AirPods Pro 3, we have an article that compares those two models and offers some buying advice.

Read more: Best wireless earbuds of 2025

AirPods 4 feature an improved design

The AirPods 4 are slightly smaller than the AirPods 3 but larger than the AirPods 2. Each earbud weighs the same 4.3 grams, so any added or upgraded tech doesn’t translate into extra bulk on your ears. While all ears are shaped differently, Apple hopes the new design is a better fit for a wider range of people.

They fit me better than the AirPods 3, but I couldn’t get them to fit as well as silicone tip earbuds. However, if an open-ear design has worked better for you in the past, these should fit just fine — or even better. I have friends who’ve upgraded to the AirPods 4, and they say the new product fits them better.

The AirPods 3 are IPX4-rated for sweat and splash resistance. In comparison, the AirPods 4 are more durable. They are rated for dust resistance alongside sweat and splash resistance, with an IP54 rating.

The two AirPods 4 models have noticeable differences among themselves, too. The $179 variant supports charging with a Qi charging pad and the Apple Watch charging puck. So, if you have an Apple Watch and prefer your AirPods to charge with the same puck, you’ll need to spend $50 more than the base asking price. If you do, you also get a speaker in the case — like the AirPods Pro 2, so you can track them with sound using Find My.

Unlike the AirPods 3, there’s no physical button on the AirPods 4 charging case anymore. If you want to pair them to non-Apple devices, you need to double-tap on the front of the case near the LED to initiate pairing (that’s also the case for the AirPods Pro 3). Similarly, a reset can be initiated by three double-taps.

Upgraded H2 chip offers better sound quality

Apple’s new upgrades are threefold to improve the sound quality on the AirPods 4. First, they feature an upgraded H2 chip with Bluetooth 5.3, compared to the H1 chip with Bluetooth 5.0 found on the AirPods 3. Second, they have a new acoustic architecture and amp. Third, the drivers are positioned at a new angle to point into your ears.

When compared, the AirPods 4 have slightly improved treble and bass over the AirPods 3. They sound a little cleaner, and there’s more depth and fullness across genres. It’s not AirPods Pro 2 quality, but it’s better than before. The sound quality gap between non-Pro and Pro models has shrunk.

There is no ANC on AirPods 3, but the $179 AirPods 4 with ANC adds the active noise cancelation feature to Apple’s most affordable earbuds lineup. They have the same number of microphones as the AirPods Pro 2 to enable ANC and a few other features.

In his AirPods 4 review, David Carnoy was «really impressed with the noise canceling. The reality is that it’s not that great compared with what you get with the AirPods Pro 2 [and now the AirPods Pro 3] … but that it works at all and is reasonably effective is kind of wild.»

On most open earbuds, you can’t really hear a difference between ANC on and off modes. But the new AirPods 4 with ANC can muffle the ambient sound around you to a certain degree. Apple says their noise canceling matches that of the original AirPods Pro and is half as good as the AirPods Pro 2’s noise canceling (that means it’s only 25% as good as the AirPods Pro 3’s noise canceling, which is 2X as good as the AirPods Pro 2’s noise canceling, according to Apple). That said, it’s strong enough to help you hear your music better in noisy environments. It can drown out low frequencies like plane engine noise very well.

Added features and upgraded controls

The AirPods 4 with ANC add a bunch of new features for the same price as what the AirPods 3 once cost. The additional microphones not only enable ANC but also convenience features like Adaptive Audio and Conversation Awareness.

The latter works like Sony’s Speak-to-Chat feature; it pauses the music and enables transparency mode as soon as it detects that you’re speaking. If you like to sing along to songs, it’s better to keep it turned off. That said, it’s a neat feature that lets you have conversations without physically taking off your earbuds.

Both AirPods 3 and AirPods 4 (including the ANC variant) support personalized spatial audio (with head tracking) for music, quick pairing, auto-switching for Apple devices, and always-on Siri. The AirPods 4 can trigger Siri with both «Siri» and «Hey Siri» wake words, whereas AirPods 3 support only «Hey Siri.»

You can spend $50 less on the AirPods 4 and get several new features over the AirPods 3. Both AirPods 4 models have new force sensors in the stems with pinch controls to control playback. However, there’s no swipe gesture support yet.

Both of them also support Siri Interactions, where you can interact with Siri using gestures. For instance, when you receive a call, Siri will announce the caller’s name and ask if you want to answer the call. You can then nod your head for yes or shake it for no to answer or decline the call, respectively.

All of these features come with one slight compromise — battery life. The AirPods 3 are rated to deliver six hours of continuous listening on one charge, while the new AirPods 4 are rated to last up to five hours per charge. The case still delivers the same 30 hours of additional battery life, despite being smaller than before.

AirPods 3 vs. AirPods 4: It’s time to upgrade

If you’re in the market for a new pair of open earbuds, the AirPods 4 are an excellent choice — even if you have the last-gen AirPods 3. You get better sound quality with the H2 chip, a smaller case, more features like Siri Interactions and dust resistance, all for $50 less than the AirPods 3’s $179 launch price. However, they leave off wireless charging and only top up via the USB-C port.

The $179 AirPods 4 with ANC currently offer the best noise cancellation in a pair of open earbuds. Plus, you get additional features like Qi wireless charging (you can also charge them on an Apple Watch charging puck), a speaker inside the case for Find My, Conversation Awareness, Adaptive Audio and more. Both AirPods 4 models are a good upgrade over the AirPods 3, despite the slightly lower battery life.

Read more: Best AirPods deals right now

AirPods 3 vs. AirPods 4 spec comparison

	AirPods 3	AirPods 4	AirPods 4 with ANC
Weight (each earbud)	0.15 ounce (4.28 grams)	0.15 ounce (4.3 grams)	0.15 ounce (4.3 grams)
Weight (case)	1.34 ounces (37.91 grams)	1.14 ounces (32.3 grams)	1.22 ounces (34.7 grams)
Water resistant	IPX4	IP54	IP54
Sensors	Skin-detect sensor, Motion-detecting accelerometer Speech-detecting accelerometer, Force sensor	Optical in-ear sensor, Motion-detecting accelerometer, Speech-detecting accelerometer, Force sensor	Optical in-ear sensor, Motion-detecting accelerometer, Speech-detecting accelerometer, Force sensor
Microphones	Dual beamforming microphones, inward-facing microphone	Dual beamforming microphones, inward-facing microphone	Dual beamforming microphones, inward-facing microphone
Chip	H1	H2	H2
Conectivity	Bluetooth 5.0	Bluetooth 5.3	Bluetooth 5.3
Active Noise Cancelation, Transparency mode	No	No	Yes
Conversation Awareness, Adaptive Audio	No	No	Yes
Voice Isolation, Personalized volume	No	Yes	Yes
Battery life	Up to 6 hours +30 hours with case	Up to 5 hours +30 hours with case	Up to 5 hours +30 hours with case
Wire in box	Yes	No	No
Launch Price	$179	$129	$179

AirPods 3 vs. AirPods 4: FAQs

Which AirPods are better, 3 or 4?

The AirPods 4 are better in terms of both sound quality and features. You get an upgraded H2 chip for cleaner sound, upgraded force touch controls, a new model with the best ANC on open earbuds, and features like Conversation Awareness, Adaptive Audio, etc. The AirPods 4 are objectively better than the AirPods 3.

Are the new AirPods 4 worth it?

If you’re looking for open earbuds, both the AirPods 4 and AirPods 4 with ANC are easily among the top open earbuds. At their list prices, they’re a little pricey, but they go on sale fairly regularly on Amazon, where you can save $10 to $20 on them, sometimes a little more.

Which version of AirPods is best?

The AirPods Pro 3 are Apple’s current flagship model and are the best AirPods overall. They offer excellent sound quality and top-notch ANC performance for under $250. That said, if you don’t like having silicone ear tips jammed in yours, the AirPods 4 with ANC are your best bet right now. You can find more options in our Best AirPods for 2025 guide.